


Dear Hanzo - One Shot

by NightCrows



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: After Dragons Short, Both guys went through a lot, Crying, Feels, Forgive Yourself, Forgiveness, Genji's story, I feel bad for them, No Direct Confrontation, Poor Hanzo, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reflections Comic, Stormy nights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-31 03:31:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10890804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightCrows/pseuds/NightCrows
Summary: Since the day Hanzo received the letter, he constantly put it aside, afraid of what it might bring. Now he's decided, that no matter the consequence, he must eventually read it.





	Dear Hanzo - One Shot

Nothing more than a letter, some would think. A piece of paper with ink, a rare occurrence now that technology made advertisements and communication easier.  
Most people would read it, maybe smile, then throw it away without another thought. But this… This was much different.  
Christmas had passed, and January was nearly upon them. Through a kind boy he’d met in the past during the holiday, he’d been given something. Something he knew he would regret the second his fingers tore open the envelope.  
After sharing Christmas with the seemingly lost boy, Hanzo was surprised by the gift he had been given. A neatly made letter with a name he could never forget printed on the front, Genji.

\-----

“How did you come across this?” He’d asked while eating with the child.  
“A nice Omnic told me that I should find someone named Hanzo. He said that I already knew him as Mr. Shimada, and I did! You helped my parents when they were going to be killed, you saved them.”  
Hanzo had not tried to hide his surprise, and continued to ask questions over their dessert.  
“So how did you come to find me?”

“I always thought it would be really cool to be something like a spy or detective,” the child pretended to be a sneak and caused Hanzo to let out a small chuckle.

“Impressive, young man, but perhaps we should take you home. Your parents will start to be worried by your absence,” He had taken the letter, and almost regretfully pocketed it.

“After we’re done?” Anxiously asked the boy, he didn't want to be torn from his delicious slice of cake.

“After we’re done.”

\-----

Now Hanzo sat on the edge of his bed on a stormy evening, nervously fingering the edges of the paper. Was it the right time? Would he be overwhelmed by a flood of emotions that he had tried for so long to keep at bay? The terrible dreams he had experienced, the blood he thought still stained his hands, was he ready to face this again?  
The half-man that had claimed to be his brother a few months ago still lingered in his mind. There was also the feather, a sparrow’s feather that he had left him. No one would go that far to torment him, right? Sparrow was a family name, few others knew it, and this man which only seemed to have the eyes of his brother and have his rest be machine, had given him the feather of such bird.

Thunder clapped outside, and rain began to pour harder. He was still sitting in the dark, waiting for himself to come to a decision.  
And at last he made one.

He leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp, then took a deep breath. The familiar Kanji which spelled his brother’s name shone in ink, asking to be read. He flipped the envelope in his hands so he could break the seal, an uncomfortably slow action.  
Every moment he spent listening to the crinkle of paper made him more anxious until his hands shook as he held the straightened paper before him.

_Dear Hanzo,_

_I hope you have taken the time to reflect upon the world’s distress, for darker times are nearly upon us. Our last meeting was not particularly ideal to either of us, and I will not apologize for my presence as I tried to speak with you._  
_Instead, I come with this letter to speak of what happened in my past, so that you may understand and at least tolerate what I have become._  
_Perhaps you still do not believe that I am your brother, Shimada Genji. I would probably not believe that a mere man has been risen from the dead either, but here is my story so that you may understand._  
_You were too hasty in your final blow that evening. Although I do not recall all the events, and I have no wish to, I know you left the job unfinished. And so by some power, Overwatch appeared at our backdoor, planning to infiltrate the Shimada Clan. It was by no luck that their medic found me. Angela tells me that she believed I was truly dead at first, and that she had only approached my body to know how long ago the death had been. I had surprised her, by beginning to choke on my very last breaths. She found that I was still hanging onto the last string of life, and helped me. Through her amazing talent, I was saved for a few hours longer, allowing me to reach their medical center. I remember nothing after that, for to keep me at bay they were forced to drug me into a mumbling idiot. It took a couple of months, but they let off, and I was more functional. They told me of my near-revival then helped me recuperate. I was still missing an arm and covered in scars from our earlier life and the_... _incident between us,_ _which earned me embarrassing looks. I was also faced with many health and mental issues._  
 _Apparently, the Overwatch agents had done some research, because as I was resting, I was surprised by a visit from both former Strike-Commander Morrison and Blackwatch’s former commander, Gabriel Reyes. They offered me a deal. They would reconstruct my body in exchange for my services._  
 _At that time, I was tired, I was hopeless, I didn't feel like life was worth living, but as they continued to talk something sparked in me. To have such enhancements would make me better at what I could already do, I could get_ revenge _. Still unable to speak, I had ferociously nodded my head to this deal._  
 _As they started fixing what didn't work in me, they simultaneously gave me small enhancements. The only catch I faced was working for Blackwatch first. The world would be alarmed if they realized a criminal had joined the ranks of Overwatch._  
 _For a while I faced no challenges sparring with other members and recruits, my mind was so focused on making myself stronger so that I could find you and the clan and dismantle both that I excelled in any training they had tried to give me. Not to mention, we both had trained since we were mere children._  
 _For several years I worked in secret as they continued to enhance my body with cybernetics, and I found that it was mentally tiring. I felt disconnected, you and my anger were the only things keeping my mind together. I faced other struggles as well, I couldn't go outside, for I was half machine. It was hard to eat food with others, my jaw was broken and my face, ugly. After those years, after Blackwatch had been called off, I was eventually able to make a debut in Overwatch. No one could see my face, and many thought I was an omnic. I still felt disconnected. Overwatch got dismantled, and with it any help that would aid me in dismantling your Clan, I suddenly didn't know what to do. I still came by Shimada Castle and did small raids, but otherwise I traveled the world, searching for someone or something that would accept someone who is half man and half machine._  
 _You should already know, but I was disgusted by my body. I had only tolerated Omnics, and it felt like I was turning into one. Eventually I bumped into a certain Omnic, they knew who I was,_ what _I was, and they offered help. I ignored them the first time but came back later, seeking their help._  
_They brought me to Nepal, a country which was like an Omnic sanctuary. There were many shrines there, and the Omnic offered me housing and teaching. I accepted it, regretfully at first, but I grew to understand myself. The advantages I had and how I didn't only have to help myself but others. I have the ability to do significant things that others cannot, and in the end I am still truly human. My Master has taught me great things including inner peace and humility. Now, as you know, I have forgiven you, and if you are ready I would like us to meet again. Preferably on friendlier terms. The sooner we may accept each other, the sooner things might become better. We will never be like we once were, but you can always find me in the shrines of Nepal._

_Sincerely,  
Genji_

Next to the sign-off was a thumbprint. Perhaps Genji wanted to prove he was real, but Hanzo didn't care to do much more than stare at it for a long moment. Tears welled up in his eyes, and as they trickled down his cheeks they fell and stained the paper.  
There was nothing he could think to say or do, and so he reached for the envelope in which the letter came from. Aiming to slide the paper in exactly as he had taken it out and leave the whole thing to rot, he noticed another sheet still inside the envelope. His hand slowly placed the letter to the side, and his fingers gently removed the new sheet, only to find himself choking on his own breath. It was a picture of the young brothers, smiling as if everything was okay, great even. It was an old picture, yet Hanzo still remembered it. He curled up on his bed, still unable to deal with what he had done only a decade ago. Every memory that came would stab his mind, every time he had looked at his hands he still found them stained with blood, and the fear he saw in other people’s eyes always set him on edge.  
For a long time, only the hard rain and his weeping filled the room. The power went out, but he didn't care, the dark was where he belonged. He didn't deserve to see the light after all he’d done.

 

While Hanzo wept, the picture fluttered to the ground. It flipped itself over to show a small note Genji had left.

_'We are still family despite our struggles.'_


End file.
